Roadside Geology of Pennsylvania

Roadside Geology Series #18

by Bradford B. Van Diver

The hundreds of millions of years of history folded within Pennsylvania's rocks tell a remarkable story of destruction, creation, and transformation. With an assortment of maps, diagrams, photos, and expert descriptions, Roadside Geology of Pennsylvania is the ultimate travel companion for those who have little or no training in geology. Bradford Van Diver expertly guides the traveler through the wonders of Pennsylvania's complex geology seen from the road. Like a lively storyteller, Van Diver keeps jargon to a minimum and translates intricate geological processes into basic explanations so you can understand the events that shaped the landscape of Pennsylvania. Highly useful even for those who are just passing through, this guide makes the science behind this state's geology more accessible than ever. Roadside Geology of Pennsylvania has a place in the library of those who are interested in understanding and seeing firsthand the forces that have shaped the Keystone State. Bradford B. Van Diver (1927-2002), was professor emeritus of Geology at SUNY, Potsdam. He began a history of rock climbing while studying at the University of Colorado and later he earned his PhD from the University of Washington. He taught at a number of institutions and was a member of several associations, including the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Colorado Hiking Club, and the Carolina Mountain Club. Van Diver was an avid mountaineer, hiker, photographer, woodworker, kayaker, skier, and world traveler.

Genres: Geology, Science, Nature, Travel

362 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Kenneth]

A nice roadside companion either on hikes or on drives.
You know when you are driving along a highway that has been cut through a mountain or a hill and there is some real interesting stone exposed.
This book tells you the story behind that stone.
It is a very good geology book broken down by the state's region (NW, SW, SE, etc. ) and then the highway drive that takes you by it (Interstate 81 , PA Route 39, etc.)

[Paul]

Lots of information that can't be easy to organize and explain. I just kind of had to keep reading until I started understanding it all, making sense of it all, putting the pieces together. Actually, I didn't start getting all of it until I was very nearly finished. Yes, I realize it can be dipped into and oyt of, but I wanted to go straight through first time around. Would benefit from a lot more diagrams and illustrations and more detailed maps, though what was there was helpfiul. Also, I had to wonder about the usefulness of highway geology, since you're usually not in a good position to be looking at roadcuts as you're barreling down an interstate, and walking around on the shoulder usually is illegal on limited access roadways. Its hard to visualize from home without constant references to the maps, hence the need for more illustrations and more detailed maps, though now, googlemaps could probably help with that somewhat. Would it be better to organize it spatially and mention the roadcurs and highways after laying out the big regional picture or would that cause it to lose its appeal? It is "Roadside Geology" after all and most of thr big exposures are roadcuts on superhighways. Anyway, it was very useful as a source of inspiration when planning trips this year and should serve as a further road in to understanding the landscapes of pa for a good while yet to come.

[Jeremiah]

Delightful read. It helped me truly understand some pieces of local and regional geology which had been eluding me. Although this book is written for a novice it covers a lot and even I found that I learned a few new things about geologic structures.

[Lois Merritt]

Just wish the pictures were in color - otherwise, quite helpful.